Promoting Trade, Inclusiveness and Connectivity for Sustainable Development

This edition of Aid for Trade at a Glance focuses on trade connectivity,
which is critical for economic growth, inclusiveness and sustainable development.
Physical connectivity enables the movement of goods and services to local, regional
and global markets. It is closely intertwined with digital connectivity which is vital
in today’s trade environment. Yet, the Internet remains inaccessible for 3.9 billion
people globally, many of whom live in the least developed countries.

This report builds on the analysis of trade costs and extends it into the digital
domain, reflecting the changing nature of trade. It seeks to identify ways to support
developing countries – and notably the least developed – in realising the gains from
trade. It reviews action being taken by a broad range of stakeholders to promote connectivity
for sustainable development, including by governments, their development partners
and by the private sector. One message that emerges strongly is that participation
in e-commerce requires much more than a simple internet connection.

Chapters were prepared by the World Bank, the United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organisation (WTO),
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and Business for eTrade Development.

Global Review 2017 of Aid for Trade, “Promoting Trade, Inclusiveness and Connectivity For Sustainable Development”, was held at the WTO in Geneva from 11 to 13 July 2017. Underpinning the Review was a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) exercise to survey Aid-for-Trade priorities and how these have changed for developing countries.

This year, the review took digital connectivity as its starting point. Emphasis was given to how e-commerce and digital trade are transforming the possibilities for connecting countries to international markets. The joint OECD-WTO publication Aid for Trade at a Glance 2017 was launched during the opening session of Global Review on 11th of July.